InTucker Magazine

THS Alum Josiah Lawson Excels On and Off the Court

Same colors, same mascot, same confidence and the same signature roar.

Josiah Lawson still wears the same maroon and gold, represents the same mascot, and unleashes the same signature roar. From the hardwood courts of Tucker High School to Morehouse College, his journey has shifted locations without altering his identity. The former Tiger carries the spirit of Tucker wherever he goes. Although he now competes at the collegiate level, the image remains familiar: he plays with unshakable confidence and punctuates big plays with his trademark celebration, screaming with his arms flexed at his sides.

Lawson’s love for the game ignited at a young age under the tutelage of his father, who trained both Josiah and his older brother, Asaad. Josiah credits those early sessions and the constant sibling rivalry for sharpening his competitive edge.

“The one-on-one games really helped my competitive edge,” Lawson said. “He was always better than me. Just seeing him do the things he did just inspired me to be good. It was really great just having a workout partner, too, all these years.”

The tables have turned recently, as the Morehouse sophomore joked that Asaad can no longer beat him in a matchup. The brothers previously shared the court at both Druid Hills and Tucker High School. Josiah’s transition to Tucker after his freshman year was seamless, aided by deep roots in the local basketball community.

“It was great,” Lawson said. “There were a lot of familiar faces on the team that I already played AAU with growing up. It was not like a new experience for me. I already had some comradery with the players there.”

During his tenure at THS, Lawson became a local legend. He led the team to a regional championship and earned All-State honors for three consecutive years. By the time he graduated, he had amassed over 1,500 points and 700 rebounds, cementing his place as one of the top three scorers in school history and top 20 in DeKalb County history. His favorite memory remains the electric atmosphere of his sophomore year region title win, played before a sold-out home crowd.

“It was the greatest feeling especially winning and seeing all of the hard work paying off,” Lawson said. “That was one of the top moments for me.”

Beyond the court, Lawson excelled as a scholar. He utilized dual enrollment at Georgia State University during his junior and senior years to earn college credit while freeing up time for training. He finished high school with a staggering 4.5 GPA, balancing elite athleticism with academic rigor.

When it came time to choose a college, Lawson was a high-commodity recruit with offers from Harvard University, Yale, Princeton, and the University of Georgia. However, the choice was deeply personal. As a third-generation legacy student whose father and grandfather both attended Morehouse, the decision to head to the Morehouse was a “no-brainer.” Joining the ranks of the Maroon Tigers was not just a basketball decision; it was a commitment to the lineage of “Morehouse Men” who came before him, ensuring the family name remains synonymous with the institution’s prestigious history.

Now in his second season with the program, Lawson is hungry for more. After contributing valuable minutes as a true freshman, an injury forced him to redshirt. He has returned this season with a professional mindset and lofty ambitions: a NCAA Division II National Championship and individual honors as Conference Player of the Year and All-American.

Because of his early start with college credits, Lawson is on track to graduate next year with a degree in Computer Science while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. His long-term blueprint is a calculated climb. He plans to graduate early, use his remaining eligibility to showcase his talents at the Division I level, and ultimately launch a professional career. Whether he is dominating the courts or mastering code, Josiah Lawson is building a future as storied as his family’s past.